Tag Archives: pancake

Breakfast is a nutritionally important meal of the day. But I also find it to be an emotionally important meal. When I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, I need a good breakfast to help me turn my day around. And it really works. No bowls of cold cereal. I need warm food that makes me feel happy. I love easy ways to make breakfast seem special, since I usually don’t have much time on those days.

These gingerbread pancakes fit that bill. If you tried my gingerbread pancakes last year, these are even better. Lighter and more fluffy. Still great gingerbread flavor without being overpowering. And no sugar in the batter besides molasses! Hooray!

Notes: I prefer white whole wheat flour, but “regular” whole wheat flour also works here. As with all pancake batters, I find the amount of liquid is a little bit tricky. You can add more milk if you need a thinner batter.

Thanksgiving is one week away! Holy cow, November seems to have flown by. I have two last ideas for your Thanksgiving weekend. Both are great ways to use up any extra fresh cranberries you may have around and solve breakfast dilemmas. However, I’m not posting full recipes. Sorry. We don’t need to re-invent the wheel with these, though.

Cranberry Orange Pancakes (Serves about 4)

Make up your favorite pancake recipe or a box mix. Add 1 cup of fresh cranberries and the zest and juice of one orange before adding the liquid in the recipe. Cook as normal.

Cranberry Orange Cinnamon Rolls (Makes a dozen rolls)

Make a small batch of your favorite cinnamon roll dough, adding ⅔ of the zest of 1 orange to the dough. Once you roll it out, spread 1 ½ tablespoons melted butter over the dough. Then sprinkle evenly over the dough: ½ cup brown sugar, 1 cup fresh cranberries chopped finely, and the remaining orange zest. After baking, drizzle with an icing made of 1 cup powdered sugar and about 2 tablespoons orange juice.

Sometimes I surprise myself at how big of a mess I can make of a recipe. The first time I made these pancakes, I more than doubled the flour because I was trying to go from memory rather than look at my phone again. To make them work, I added unknown amounts of milk, yogurt, and eggs. The good news was they were delicious. The bad news was I had no idea how I made them.

Obviously I had to make them again. I managed to follow the recipe a little more closely this time. And they still turned out amazingly delicious. So good, I didn’t mind that I made them for myself for Mother’s Day.

2. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir together until just combined. Add remaining milk as needed to get batter to desired thickness. Gently fold in berries.

3. Heat skillet to medium to medium-high heat. Spray pan with cooking spray. Pour about ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto skillet. Cook until bubbles begin to form, about 4 minutes. Flip. Cook until golden underneath, another 3-4 minutes. These are thick pancakes, so they take a little longer to cook than regular pancakes. You may need to lower the heat to prevent burning.

Recipe Notes: I have to add all the milk. I have made this tried blueberries, blackberries, lemon zest, and orange zest in these pancakes. All are delicious. Tomorrow I’m contemplating strawberry banana. The world is your oyster. Experiment and enjoy!

Pancake Day is next Tuesday. Even though I don’t participate in Lent, I can appreciate any excuse to eat pancakes. Since my little girl asks for “pancakes with dip” almost anytime I ask her what she wants to eat, I know she will enjoy the holiday too.

Our family does breakfast for dinner once a week, which is nice for many reasons. First, it is a simple, fast dinner that requires less planning. Second, it gives us a chance to try out new recipes that I don’t always have the energy for in the morning. My family loved these hearty pancakes, and I hope you will, too! If these aren’t the flavor you’re after, don’t forget apple pancakes and pumpkin pancakes from the archive!

Recipe Notes: You can cook your sweet potato however is easiest for you. Roasting it in the oven will give it the best flavor, but I wouldn’t turn on the oven just for that. I microwaved mine for about 5 minutes after pricking it with a fork. Peeling, chopping, and boiling would also work. I added about another ¼ cup milk to my batter to make it more workable. The batter will be thicker once you add the egg whites and let it stand. These are a hearty pancake, so the end batter will be a little thicker than regular pancakes. But still aim for something pourable.

This blog has turned orange lately. Most of my recent recipe posts have somehow involved sweet potato and pumpkin. While it seems repetitive, there are so many delicious uses for these seasonal veggies that are extra delicious and extra affordable right now. Why not eat up?

I first tried these pumpkin pancakes out on my niece and nephews. I was babysitting them for several days in a row. One night a few days in, we were ALL missing their mom and dad. These pancakes for dinner helped us all find a happier place. And then I proceeded to make them over and over for my own family when I got home. They are very simple and definitely take pancakes up several notches. Drop by my house on Thanksgiving morning, and you’ll find these on the breakfast table.

Recipe Notes: I encourage you to actually mix wet and dry ingredients in two separate bowls and then combine. But I would be dishonest if I didn’t admit that I generally measure the dry ingredients straight into the wet. I hate the thought of pancakes taking more than one bowl. And they turn out just fine. BUT, I do think I then have to mix the batter a little bit more. Just keeping it real. This is a bit wetter than regular pancake batter, so they take a little longer to cook. The end result is more moist than traditional pancakes, and it may seem like you undercooked them. I would estimate you cook the first side about twice as long as a regular pancake before flipping.

Also, if you hate only using part of a can of pumpkin, you do 1.5 times everything using a whole can of pumpkin, which leads to some odd amounts. Here is what I did:

Happy Pancake Day! I had never heard of Fat Tuesday being called Pancake Day until I went to England on my study abroad. Not being Catholic, I had never celebrated Fat Tuesday before, but Pancake Day was a holiday I could definitely get behind. I’ve tried to observe it ever since then. However, I like to try special pancakes, rather than just plain.

This year, I had some leftover apples in my fridge, so whole wheat apple pancakes seemed the logical choice. They were a big hit, especially for my fruit and pancake-loving little girl.

3. Mix wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Gently stir in grated apples. (As with all pancakes, don’t overmix or you’ll have tough pancakes).

4. Heat griddle over medium heat. (If using an electric griddle, heat to 350). Lightly coat griddle with cooking spray. Drop batter (about 1/3 cup per pancake) on griddle. Make sure the batter isn’t puddled too thick – you may need to spread it out a bit. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom. Flip and cook about 3 minutes more, or until the other side is browned and pancake is cooked through. Serve immediately or keep warm in oven until ready to serve.

Recipe notes: The original recipe called for two eggs and no applesauce. I only had 1 eggs, and applesauce is a good substitute for eggs in some recipes. Also, I thought it would add even more apple flavor. I used all wheat flour, but that is because I had white whole wheat flour. They were a bit more dense than regular pancakes. They would be lighter with all-purpose flour, but they would also have less fiber. I cut down the sugar a lot compared to the original recipe. I think the applesauce and apples made it plenty sweet. Also, you eat pancakes with syrup, so they don’t need to be overly sweet themselves. I used two granny smith and one jazz apple. Any apples would likely work, although the original recipe did suggest using at least some tart apples.

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Disclaimer

This blog is meant to provide general nutrition information and healthful recipes. It is not meant to replace the advice of your personal health care provider. Before making any lifestyle change, I recommend consulting with a doctor or a registered dietitian. If you believe you see an error, please contact me. My goal is to help, not confuse.
If you are seeking personal dietary counseling, please contact me via email. I am happy to counsel you via electronic means (or in person if possible) or to assist you in finding a local dietitian, per your preference.